This invention relates to a method for modifying an existing production line apparatus to adapt it to a new kind or type of workpiece and to a production line apparatus suitable for implementation of this method.
It has been known heretofore that a production line apparatus is arranged to comprise a standardized general-purpose member and a special-purpose member which is exchangeable according to type of workpiece to be handled so that the special-purpose member to be attached to the general-purpose member may be changed according to type of workpiece in order for the production line apparatus to be able to handle various types of workpieces.
According to the prior art, for modifying an existing production line apparatus in order to adapt the same to a new kind or type of workpiece, a new special-purpose member that is compatible with this new type of workpiece is manufactured and attached to the general-purpose member of the existing production line apparatus for a trial operation using a master workpiece to obtain programming data necessary for operation of the special-purpose member, this data including teaching data for the general-purpose member.
The data so obtained are stored in the controller of the production line apparatus to complete the required modification making the production line apparatus ready to resume its operation.
According to the foregoing conventional method, it takes much time before an existing production line apparatus is modified and adapted so as to be ready to resume operation. It is, therefore, much desired that a new method be developed to enable an existing production line apparatus to be modified and adapted quickly to a new type of workpiece without a trial operation of the existing production line apparatus, thereby contributing to an increased productivity.
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a production line apparatus modification method designed to satisfy such desire.